* Steve McClown refuses to give up on trying to lure Carra back to the England squad and visited the Liverpool camp earlier this week to speak with him. I for one am hoping Carra stays adamant about retiring from international play, especially since he’ll probably only be used for the August 22nd Germany friendly anyhow. Sol Campbell wants to play and there’s always Wes Brown (ha ha ha), so McClown can go piss off.

* Rafa has warned agents not to interfere with his squad by telling their players that going elsewhere would benefit them more. If you want to read an interesting article about how much rubbish the reaction to Rafa’s rotation policy actually is, Paul Tomkins wrote an interesting article about it on the official site. He compares the rotating and tinkering of Benitez with Sir Alex and Mourinho and comes up with some surprising conclusions. Turns out, they do it just as much, but for some reason don’t get the same negative feedback from the press, pundits, and fans. I’m personally am no longer going to bash it especially since I enjoy seeing the variety of talent and ability that we have on our squad.

* Well, in what I was hoping to be his comeback season, Harry Kewell has been bitten by the injury bug again. This time he apparently suffered a slight thigh/groin tear while in training and is expected to be out for at least ten days. Hopefully, his road to recovery will see him back on the pitch for us by the end of the month.

* The injuries keep mounting for Chelsea, but at least it was somewhat good news for the Blues that Michael Essien won’t be out for as long as first feared. The enigmatic midfielder hurt his knee after scoring against Birmingham on Sunday and will miss at least his team’s next two matches, including the one this Sunday at Anfield.

* Jermaine Pennant was left out of the squad that will face Toulouse tomorrow. Not really that surprising, he isn’t suffering from injury and the way he tore up Ashley Cole and Chelsea last year at Anfield, his exclusion is welcome if he can repeat that performance on Sunday. Javier Mascherano, Peter Crouch, and Yossi Benayoun are expected to make their season debuts tomorrow.

* Though there were some rumblings about Crouch being unhappy about his exclusion on Saturday, Benitez has put that to rest saying that he and Crouch have met and have come to an understanding. Meanwhile, the lanky striker has become somewhat inspired by his boss’ new facial hair, that he’s challenged the rest of the squad to a facial hair growing contest. Funny how Arbeloa was excluded.

* Finally, it looks like Gareth Barry is still crying about the free kick awarded to Gerrard on Saturday. Whatever, your squad was the lesser side and you didn’t deserve to even draw. Cheers.

* Rafa has sent a watchman out to scout 23-year-old Deportivo striker Angel Arizmendi. Don’t know much about him other than what I read on his wikipedia entry. 8 goals in 56 top level matches doesn’t seem that impressive, but you never know if he came on as a sub and the kind of minutes he played per a contest.

* The Gaffa is also taking a long, hard look at Scunthorpe United goal machine, Billy Sharp. The just-turned 21-year-old has netted 22 times in 37 matches this year and 56 in 93 for his career.

* We’re about to make Momo an offer he can’t refuse. Well, I guess he can, but it’ll leave a bad taste in us fans’ mouth, especially with the patience we have shown (and are still showing) with his development. In a previous post I wrote that, with Mascherano on board, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal if we lost Momo, but after further contemplation, I’ve changed my mind. If we’re going to contend for all the cups and the Premiership title, we’re going to need as many quality players we can convince. There will be no lack of playing time if we go deep in all the contests. Plus, as we saw earlier this season, the more options we have, the less likely injury will sting us.

* Finally, Recreativo de Huelvo would like to sign Florent Sinama-Pongolle. In the immortal (slightly altered) words of Tobias Fünke: “Get the Huelvo out of here!”

The Liverpool team Web site has revealed Rafa Benitez promised Jerzy Dudek – at the start of the season – that the Polish keeper would start all the FA Cup and Carling Cup matches this season. What an honorable thing to do, Rafa, stealing a page from Mourinho’s playbook and starting the number two keeper in the matches you don’t really care about.

It’s not even that Dudek did too much wrong against Arsenal. After all, he only failed to stop the best three shots Arsenal took, that’s all. No big whoop …

… Anyway, Jerzy’s domestic cup run in 06-07 could meet an inglorious end Tuesday as Arsenal return to Anfield for the postponed Carling Cup fixture. Dammit all, Jerzy we owe you everything for Istanbul, so I’ll let it go. Just sucks right now, that’s all. Let me cool off a little bit, you big lug.

However, I hope my co-workers don’t hear that the Liverpool/Arsenal Carling Cup tie at Anfield was called today on account of thick fog. An hour before the match and the referee figured it wasn’t worth waiting. Anyway, Arsenal comes back Jan. 6 for the FA Cup, and Rafa, in his trademark dry humor, has the best take on what happens next:

“We have a problem now because if we draw against Arsenal in the FA Cup then when are we going to play this game? Maybe we can play for both Cups in one game!”

That would be hilarious. I think they should go with that. It would be a tie no one would ever forget. Screw the rules. Just go with Rafa’s suggestion and everything will be just fine.

Hey, why not? It’s always nice to win, and now’s the time to dig into the Gunners while the getting seems mostly good. They’re coming back to Anfield in a few weeks for the FA Cup, so there’s no point in letting those young kids feel like they can pull one over on the Reds at home. Go right at them.

Besides, the Saturday match is at home against Watford, who aren’t exactly going to run you down with away goals. Liverpool can afford to take the chance.

However, when Arsenal visits Anfield, I’m always reminded of this beauty of a strike right here. You have this option if you fancy a cultured opera backing track with your wonder goals, or, since you likely can’t quite get enough of something that insanely great, try commentary from LFC announcers that leads to voice-losing, pandemonium and other similary great joy in downing the Arsenal.

Heh, heh. I always laugh a little when I see Antonio Nunez in highlights from a couple years ago. I also like it – a lot – when Liverpool beats Arsenal.

Dammit. The guy’s a tackling, disruptive monster that was really needed for Arsenal this weekend. He lets everybody else take more chances going forward because he’s hanging out there with the back four ready to knock the tar out of anyone to win the ball.

Not good.

“That said, Benitez will recognise it’s the trip to the Emirates, not the last four games, which will truly determine if his side has turned the corner into an open road or a cul-de-sac.”

I had hoped to get more pre-Arsenal hype in so far this week, but work during a massive election week in the U.S. has kept me away from LFC stuff. However, we’re ready for more e-season ticket audio commentary here in Milwaukee today as the Reds are away to Birmingham, and then, with the mid-term elections dispatched, I hope to bring more anti-Wenger, anti-Fabregas and anti-Arsenal venom into this here Internet space. Forgive me, Gunners fans, but it’s entirely personal.

The words above belong to Steve Hunter, spoken shortly after the halftime whistle of Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Reading on Wednesday in the League Cup. With no telecast in the U.S. of this match, I plopped the laptop on the kitchen table Wednesday afternoon as I prepared my dinner for work last night.

There’s something about a sunny, fall day in Milwaukee, cooking a chicken-and-rice dish and hearing Steve Hunter and Phil Neal shout with joy at “God” putting one in the back of the net and then creating one for Riise just a couple minutes later. Wonderful stuff.

There were scary moments later, but a win is a win at this point, and Liverpool shouldn’t start qualifying victories right now. I don’t care if it’s the League Cup or my Sands Hotel/Casino Las Vegas coffee cup. Win, advance, prepare for Villa. Great to see – uh, I mean, hear Fowler score again.